Category: Health

When you mention hiking in Austin, many people think of the Hike & Bike Trail around Lady Bird Lake. While this trail is popular, our city is home to numerous other maintained hiking trails, both in and out of the city limits.

The best and safest way to find and experience these other trails is with a group of friends. An excellent such group is the hiking class offered by Lifetime Learning Institute of Austin. At just $20 for 8 sessions, LLI classes are truly “The Best Bargain in Town”. You can sign up at LLIAustin.org.

After graduating from the class, some members elect to join the Monday & Friday Hikers group. This very-loosely organized group consists mainly of retired persons.

Hiking, like other forms of exercise, is beneficial for the body and the mind. After I began hiking, my “bad” cholesterol number went down and my happiness level went up. Many friendships form during the shared experience of an hour or two hike in the Hill Country.

One of her tips is to Establish a Routine. Every morning he sat and had his coffee and read the New York Times on his iPad. She was ready to get going, but she recognized that her BF needed that slow start in the morning in order to be able to sightsee the rest of the day.

The article is very good reading, even if you and your partner don’t intend to be gone for 12 months at a time.

This YouTube video explains how a non-pilot can (in theory) land a Boeing 737 commercial airliner if both the captain and the co-pilot are out of commission.

I never quite realized how complex this would be…seemingly impossible for a novice. Maybe it would be possible for someone who has a lot of hours with Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The hundreds of comments shown below this video are quite interesting. A couple of commenters mention that “the 37 has the capability to autoland.”

Another issue is how a passenger would be able to enter the cockpit…that is not addressed in the video.

On FlyerTalk, a commenter has posted this bit of inside humor, which applies to the alternative version of the video after Delta Airlines evidently complained that they didn’t want their company name associated with a dangerous situation: “I thought the video was pretty funny using the 736 and “Janet” callsign. For those who may not know, “Janet” flights are the shuttle from LAS to Area 51 and some other secret military base.”

As the Zika virus spreads from South America into Caribbean island nations (including the U.S. Virgin Islands), airlines have begun letting passengers cancel flights without penalty.

If you or your partner are or could be pregnant, call the airline to learn if you can cancel for a full refund. The airlines are changing their policies on this daily, so Hang Up / Call Again (“HUCA”) tomorrow if you do not get a good answer today.

You can see a map from the Center for Disease Control showing areas of the United States where Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes capable of spreading Zika virus are found.